Triggered by a blizzard and fanned by the flames of ardent preservationists, McCurdy’s brining shed has not received this much attention since it was humming at its peak.

The January 4 storm claimed the shed, and in swift waters it drifted away to land on the beach in Campobello. Rachel Rubeor, Lubec selectwoman, head of Lubec Landmarks, and rabid champion of preserving the McCurdy buildings, brought matters quickly to a new level. Referring to the Canadians who were taking pieces of the historic building as vandals, suddenly an international incident notched up.